The Moral Life

An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature

Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn

Philosophical essays paired with literary works clarify concepts, draw students into topics, and bring ethical dilemmas and principles to life

A balance of both classic and contemporary readings in ethics gives students a broad view of the application and relevance of ethics

An appendix on how to read and write a philosophy paper provides advice for instructors who want to include writing assignments in their courses

New to this Edition:

A new chapter on war and terrorism, with three new readings: Jan Narveson, "Pacifism: A Philosophical Analysis"; Haig Khatchadourian, "The Morality of Terrorism"; and Andrew Valls, "Can Terrorism Be Justified?"

Four new readings by women writers, bringing the total to sixteen in the text

The Moral Life

An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature

Sixth Edition

Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn

Description

Ideal for introductory ethics courses, The Moral Life: An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature, Sixth Edition, brings together an extensive and varied collection of eighty-eight classical and contemporary readings on ethical theory and practice. Integrating literature with philosophy in an innovative way, this unique anthology uses literary works to enliven and make concrete the ethical theory or applied issues addressed. The readings are enhanced by chapter introductions, study questions, suggestions for further reading, and biographical sketches. The sixth edition adds thirteen new readings, three of which appear in a new chapter, "War and Terrorism."

The Moral Life

An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature

Sixth Edition

Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn

Table of Contents

*=New to this Edition Each chapter ends with Further Readings. Preface Introduction: On the Nature of MoralityPART I. THE NATURE OF MORALITY: GOOD AND EVIL 1. What Is the Purpose of Morality? William Golding, Lord of the Flies: A Moral AllegoryLouis P. Pojman, On the Nature and Purpose of Morality: Reflections on William Golding's Lord of the FliesThomas Hobbes, On the State of Nature2. Good and Evil Herman Melville, Billy BuddFyodor Dostoevsky, Why Is There Evil?William Styron, Sophie's ChoicePhilip Hallie, From Cruelty to Goodness* Philippa Foot, Natural GoodnessFriedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and EvilRichard Taylor, On the Origin of Good and Evil3. Is EverythingRelative? Herodotus, Custom Is KingRuth Benedict, The Case for Moral Relativism* David Enoch, Why I Am an Objectivist about Ethics (And Why You Are, Too)James Rachels, Why Morality Is Not RelativeJean Bethke Elshtain, Judge Not?Mary Midgley, Trying Out One's New SwordHenrick Ibsen, The Enemy of the PeoplePART II. MORAL THEORIES AND MORAL CHARACTER 4. Utilitarianism Seaman Holmes and the Longboat of William Brown, Reported by John William WallaceJeremy Bentham, Classical UtilitarianismJohn Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism RefinedKai Nielsen, A Defense of UtilitarianismBernard Williams, Against UtilitarianismUrsula Le Guin, The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas5. Deontological Ethics Immanuel Kant, The Moral LawWilliam K. Frankena, Kant's TheoryW. D. Ross, IntuitionismAmbrose Bierce, A Horseman in the SkyCharles Fried, The Evil of LyingPlato, Does Morality Depend on Religion?James Rachels, The Divine Command TheoryThomas Nagel, Moral LuckCarl Dennis, New Year's Eve6. Virtue Ethics Aristotle, Virtue EthicsAlasdair MacIntyre, The Virtues* Susan Wolf, Moral SaintsBernard Mayo, Virtue and the Moral LifeNathaniel Hawthorne, The Great Stone FaceWilliam K. Frankena, A Critique of Virtue-Based Ethical SystemsJesus of Nazareth, The Sermon on the Mount; The Good SamaritanLeo Tolstoy, How Much Land Does a Man Need? GreedImmanuel Kant, Jealousy, Malice, and IngratitudeEpictetus and Others, The Stoic CatechismVice Admiral James Stockdale, The World of Epictetus: Courage and Endurance7. Feminist Ethics and the Ethics of Care Alison M. Jaggar, Feminist EthicsJan Crosthwaite, Gender and BioethicsAnnette C. Baier, The Need for More than JusticeVirginia Held, The Ethics of CarePART III. MORAL ISSUES 8. Ethics and Egoism: Why Should We Be Moral? Plato, The Ring of GygesAyn Rand, In Defense of Ethical EgoismLouis P. Pojman, Egoism and Altruism: A Critique of Ayn RandJames Rachels, A Critique of Ethical Egoism9. Does Life Have Meaning? Voltaire, The Good BrahminEpicurus, HedonismAlbert Camus, Life Is AbsurdViktor Frankl, The Human Search for Meaning: Reflections onAuschwitzSiddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, The Four Noble TruthsBertrand Russell, Reflections on Suffering* Richard Taylor, The Meaning of LifePART IV. APPLIED ETHICS: MORAL PROBLEMS 10. Sex, Love, and Marriage Immanuel Kant, On the Place of Sex in Human ExistenceJohn McMurtry, Monogamy: A CritiqueMichael D. Bayles, Marriage, Love, and Procreation: A Critique of McMurtryBonnie Steinbock, What's Wrong with Adultery?Michael Levin, Why Homosexuality Is AbnormalJohn Corvino, A Defense of Homosexuality* Maggie Gallagher, What Marriage Is For: Children Need Mothers and Fathers* Jonathan Rauch, For Better or Worse?11. Is Abortion Morally Permissible? Don Marquis, Why Abortion Is ImmoralJudith Jarvis Thomson, A Defense of AbortionMary Anne Warren, Abortion Is Morally PermissibleSusan Sherwin, Abortion Through a Feminist Ethics Lens12. The Morality of Euthanasia Dan W. Brock, Voluntary Active EuthanasiaJames Rachels, Active and Passive Euthanasia* Bonnie Steinbock, The Intentional Termination of Life* 13. War and Terrorism * Jan Narveson, Pacifism: A Philosophical Analysis * Haig Khatchadourian, The Morality of Terrorism* Andrew Valls, Can Terrorism Be Justified?14. Our Duties to Animals George Orwell, Shooting an ElephantPeter Singer, Animal Liberation: All Animals Are EqualCarl Cohen, The Case Against Animal Rights* Tristam McPherson, How to Argue for (and Against) Ethical Veganism* Joel Salatin, Animal Welfare15. Our Duties to the Environment Robert Heilbroner, What Has Posterity Ever Done for Me?Garrett Hardin, The Tragedy of the CommonsWilliam F. Baxter, People or Penguins: The Case for Optimal Pollution16. Global Economic Justice Garrett Hardin, Living on a LifeboatWilliam W. Murdoch and Allan Oaten, A Critique of Lifeboat EthicsPeter Singer, Famine, Affluence, and Morality* Travis Timmerman, A Reply to SingerAppendix: How to Read and Write Philosophy PapersIndex

The Moral Life

An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature

Sixth Edition

Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn

Author Information

The late Louis P. Pojman was Professor of Philosophy at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Lewis Vaughn is the author or coauthor of numerous books, including Living Philosophy, Second Edition (OUP, 2017), Bioethics, Third Edition (OUP, 2016), and Philosophy Here and Now, Second Edition (OUP, 2015).

The Moral Life

An Introductory Reader in Ethics and Literature

Sixth Edition

Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn

Reviews and Awards

"The Moral Life is the best introductory reader on the market. Students like the variety of the readings and the affordable price. The readings are just the right length to cover in class and the variety of sources, including some literature and non-academic writing, makes the philosophy accessible--and relevant. You can't ask for more than that."--David S. Brown, Lindenwood University

"The Moral Life would be ideal for any ethics or moral philosophy course. Its organization and layout are fantastic, and I like the diversity of applied ethics issues covered in the final section."--Andy Sanford, Southwestern Michigan College

"The Moral Life is a high-quality and reasonably priced introduction to the study of ethics. It provides a very easy-to-follow lineup of moral theory, followed by a helpful set of reflection questions. The moral issues section includes readings on up-to-date moral concerns, covering some issues rarely touched upon in other ethics texts."--Christopher Innes, College of Western Idaho

"If there's a more comprehensive textbook on the market, I'm not aware of it. The Moral Life covers all the major areas that I teach in an introductory ethics course."--Tamler Sommers, University of Houston

"The Moral Life is a well-written text combining literature with philosophical theories. It has a good organization, deals with diverse issues, offers applied ethics, and has a list price that is fair for students."--Connie Humphreys, Urbana University